


Foal Out Boy

by FolieAMania



Category: Fall Out Boy, I Don't Know How But They Found Me (Band), My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe, High School, Horseback Riding, Horses, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-21
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-22 00:07:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13752066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FolieAMania/pseuds/FolieAMania
Summary: Joe Trohman is new to a country town in Illinois, and he is not happy about it. Forced to move in the middle of his Junior year, he was uprooted from everything he knew to move to a farm. His new neighbor, Andy Hurley, catches his eye and leads him to his new found talent- horseback riding. New friends, rivalries, and the struggles of high school block him from his path, but Joe is determined to make his new dreams work.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this new fanfic! It's meant to be a cliché, based on every single horse book in existence. But better, because it's Fall Out Boy.

His phone light illuminated the dark truck, and was the only thing that comforted him. He texted his friends frantically, knowing that soon he'd had little to no signal for his messages to get through. He didn't have many friends at his old school, but he did have a life. He had people that cared, but that was all ripped away when his mom and dad packed him up and decided to move to the middle of nowhere in Illinois. They were in the front seat of their truck, his mom sleeping soundly while his dad drove through the night. 

Joe looked up and the night sky and examined that stars. The sky was his only constant when he was always forced to leave due to his dad's ever-changing jobs. He'd been living in the same area since seventh grade, though, and that was the longest he'd stayed anywhere. They weren't expecting to have to move again, especially not in the middle of his junior year, so Joe had grown attached to the place that he was now forced to leave. 

Joe looked back at his phone. He read the message from his best friend. 

“Maybe you’ll meet some cute boys? Idk man, just look on the bright side.” The message read. 

Joe smiled at his phone. Maybe he would finally meet someone, but at the same time, he was moving to the country. Those places typically aren't too accepting of people like him. Joe sighed, thinking about his past crushes. He might have had a chance back at his old school, but at a new school in the middle of the year, it would be extremely hard to adjust. 

Joe eventually fell asleep. When he woke, the sun was barely peeking over the hills in the horizon. It was quite beautiful. The spring trees were blossoming and were illuminated in the warm, morning light. Some of the flowers fell off and danced in the wind, spiraling downwards until they touched the ground and rolled along the grass. The back roads ahead of them were long and made a gravel, which made it impossible for Joe to fall back asleep. He tried to text his friends, but he had no signal. Instead, he just watched the flowers and trees pass him by. 

His dad looked in the rear-view mirror and noticed Joe was awake. 

“Hey bud, you excited? We're getting close,” his dad announced, his voice tired and worn out. 

Joe sighed, “as excited as I can be I guess.”

“I know you don't like moving, and I'm sorry. But it'll be better here. This’ll be our last move, I promise,” Joe’s dad reasoned. 

“You say that every time,” Joe grumbled. 

Joe’s dad looked back at him through the rear-view mirror. Joe raised his eyes to meet his dad's. 

“Don't act like that, Joe. I mean it this time. You’ll be off at college soon anyways,” His dad explained to him. 

Joe leaned back in his seat. He didn't want to deal with anyone. He just looked out the window and sighed again, watching the Earth pass him by as he traveled to his new house. It would never be his home. Only his old place would feel like that, but he'd likely never see it again. 

Finally, after hours more of driving and the sun already rising to its highest point in the sky, the Trohman family pulled up to their new house. It was in the middle of nowhere alright. It was a small farm house in the middle of the country. Joe had always lived in the city, never in a country house. His dad's job was trying to expand to everywhere, and had no sent them out to a place that no one has ever heard of. Even the local high school was a good thirty minutes away, and everyone there was presumably from the country as well. Joe thought his odds of finding friends in this type of setting were slim to none. 

Joe examined the house. It was blue with faded pink shudders. It looked to be extremely old and run-down. There was a barn behind it with an empty chicken coop beside it. His family was planning to get farm animals, as that had always been his mom's dream. He knew he'd be the one doing a lot of the hard farm work, though, which made him even less excited for the move. Joe didn't mind hard work, but the thought of being on a farm was not appealing. He liked being surrounded by people and having a community, and now his nearest neighbor was a twenty minute walk away. 

Joe helped his family unpack their truck with all of their basic supplies in it. Their moving truck would be coming in the next few days, so for now they'd be living on the bare necessities while they waited for the rest of their items to arrive. The door to the house was old, and creaked open when he pulled the handle. He peeked inside, and saw the bare white walls staring back at him, seemingly taunting him for having to start anew once more. 

The living room was small and cozy. There was a brick fireplace that looked nice, and Joe hoped it worked. He could imagine snuggling up next to it on cold nights. He walked through the kitchen, which was small as well. The few appliances in there were very old, and the gas oven looked slightly rusty at the bottom. It was painted a bright blue, but the paint was chipping off of the walls. Joe then entered the dining room, which was spacious due to the lack of items in it. It would become significantly smaller once their dining room table was placed there. The stairs were in the dining room, leading upstairs. Joe climbed the stairs, which creaked under his feet with every step. They were wooden, so Joe had to try not to slip down them or get splinters in his hand from the old railing. 

The first door upstairs was Joe’s new room. He opened the door, which was the only door in the house that hadn't creaked so far. The room was completely empty. There was a big window overlooking the barn and the chicken coop. The walls were painted a boring shade of beige, which Joe knew he was going to change immediately. He set his book bag on the ground and kicked it to the side. Joe found an outlet and plugged in his phone, which had died on the long car ride. He then went downstairs to help his parents with more boxes, even though all he wanted to do was sleep. 

He unpacked everything his parents had, and at that point it late afternoon. It was too early to sleep, and all Joe had to sleep on was an old sleeping bag he used when he was a cub scout in middle school. Joe sat on the floor downstairs, trying to get a signal anywhere in his house. Try as he might, there was no sign of one. Suddenly, he heard a knock on his door. He sighed, but then reluctantly got up to answer it. 

He was greeted by an older looking woman. She was short, and holding a plate of cookies in her hands. She smiled sweetly at Joe. 

“Hello sweetie, you must be one of our new neighbors! Are your parents here?” She asked. 

“Uh, yeah,” Joe replied, “Mom! Dad! Someone’s here!”

As his parents clomped down the stairs, the woman began speaking again, “How old are you? I have a son that's a junior in high school now, you two might get along.”

“I'm a junior, too, yeah. Seventeen,” Joe replied, backing up when he saw his parents approaching the door. 

Joe retreated back into the living room. He heard his parents talking to the woman, who was now seated in the kitchen. He was bored, and had nothing else to do, so he decided to explore the old house a bit more. There was one place he hadn't checked out yet, and he was quite curious about it. The basement. 

The basement was a cold, unfinished mess. Joe flicked on the flight, but it didn't do much to the room. The light bulb wasn't very strong, so the room was still dimly lit. It seemed like whoever was living there last was too lazy to take all of their possessions or throw them away, so they chucked what they didn't want down there. There were pieces of broken chairs, glass, and old bottles everywhere. There were also some clothes, some overalls and old horse riding boots tucked away in the corner. Joe looked around some more, until he came across something familiar. 

Under a pile of broken wood laid an old, dusty guitar case. Joe picked up the pieces of wood, acquiring splinters in the process but not really caring. He blew the dust off of the case and undid the latches. He lifted up the top of the case and peeked inside. 

It was the most beautiful guitar he'd ever seen. It was very old, he could tell, but it was unlike anything else he'd ever seen before. It was made out of beautiful oak wood, and the strings were in perfect condition. It was extremely out of tune, though, but Joe could easily fix that. He assumed it was homemade, judging by the imperfections in the base and its rustic look. He took it out of the case and felt it. His fingers glided up and down the neck, getting a feel for the instrument. He tried strumming, but the horrible out-of-tune notes deterred him from trying that again before tuning it. He didn't have his tuner with him, though, so he'd have to wait a few days to properly play the guitar. 

Joe put the guitar back in its case. He didn't want to risk damaging it, so he lifted the case carefully and swung the strap over his shoulder. He carried it up the stairs, them creaking under his feet. He stood around the corner when he heard his parents still talking to the woman who was there. 

“Andy’s a good boy. I'm sure he’ll be a good friend to your son and show him around school on Monday. I'll be sure of it. I'll send him over tomorrow after church so they can meet,” the woman said. 

“Thank you so much. And thank you for the cookies too,” Joe heard his mother reply. 

The door closed. Joe sighed. He didn't want to be forced to meet some country boy tomorrow, but he knew his parents were going to make him. He waited a few more moments before turning the corner, his parents waiting for him at the table and munching on the cookies. 

“Joe! What do you have there?” His dad asked, catching sight of the bag swung around his back. 

Joe gripped the handle of the bag, “It's a guitar. I'm pretty sure it's homemade. It's beautiful.” 

Joe’s mom smiled sweetly and his dad swung his arm around her shoulders. They'd never understood his passion for instruments, but they tried to be as supportive as they could. 

“That's wonderful. That kind lady is our new neighbor. She has a son your age-” Joe’s mom tried to explain. 

“Yeah she told me,” Joe replied, cutting her off as he usually did. 

Joe’s mother continued, “-and he's coming over tomorrow to meet you. I think it'll be good for you to have a friend your age so quickly.” 

Joe rolled his eyes. He knew he wouldn't make friends with any country boy, so he just groaned and crossed his arms. Joe's dad looked grumpy. 

“Joe, don't act like that. I know it's inconvenient having to move in the middle of the year again, but this won't be so bad,” Joe’s dad replied, raising his voice slightly. 

“Inconvenient? I had to give up my whole life for you again! Why can't I just have a stable life with friends instead of you moving me to the middle of nowhere so close to the end of high school? I'm not meeting any stupid country boy and I'm not going to like it here!” Joe yelled, growing frustrated. 

His dad's eyebrows scrunched together and Joe knew he'd made a horrible mistake. He didn't yell, but rather said in a harsh, stern voice, “go to your room.” 

Joe silently ascended the stairs, them still creaking under his feet. He slammed the door behind him and immediately sank to the floor. He sprawled out across it and stared at the ceiling fan. He knew he was going to hate it there. He felt it in his gut. 

He eventually sat up and leaned up against the door behind him. Joe brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. He stared out the window, watching the trees’ leaves blow in the slight spring breeze. Although it was in the middle of nowhere, Joe could still appreciate the beauty of it. Looking out the window, he suddenly saw two people come into view. They looked around suspiciously before disappearing into his barn. Joe stood up, curiously and went to the window. It slid open easily, and Joe could easily jump down without his parents noticing. He ran back to his door, locked it, and jumped out the window.


	2. Chapter 2

Joe ran towards the barn, hoping his parents wouldn't look out the window and see him. What he was doing was risky business, and he knew he shouldn't have done it. What if they were robbers or criminals? Joe didn't think about that, though. The two boys that had snuck in had looked to be around the same height as him, if not shorter. 

When he finally reached the barn, he peered around the corner of the slightly-opened door. He saw two boys standing there, talking in harsh whispers. They were definitely shorter, but most likely around the same age as him. One was pale and wearing a trucker hat upon his long, mousy hair. The other was darker, with his hair styled downwards into a fringe. They had a striking contrast, but looked to be friendly with one another. 

Joe looked back at he house. He could see his parent’s shadows in the kitchen window, but they weren't looking at him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he knew he needed to find somewhere to hide, fast. He looked back in the barn and saw a stack of hay he could easily hide behind, so he let go of the barn door and booked it towards the hay. He accidentally closed the door behind him, startling the two boys standing there. They looked towards the door, but didn't notice Joe, who had slipped behind the hay just in time. 

“Huh, that was weird,” the hatted boy said, focusing his attention back on the other boy, “anyways. We gotta stop hanging out here now that people live here. Someone's going to find us doing something and we're going to get caught.” 

The other boy sighed, cupping the shorter boy’s face with his hand. Their eyes locked, and Joe felt awkward. He knew he was invading an extremely private moment. 

“Where else are we gonna go, Trick? There's nowhere else safe. These people here, I heard they're city people. They'll probably never touch this barn,” He replied sweetly, caressing the boy’s face tenderly. 

Trick sighed, pushing the other boy’s hand away from his face, “but what if they do put animals in here? They wouldn't move to a house with a barn for no reason, would they? This is it, Pete. This is the end.”

Pete’s face grew worried and he grabbed the other boy’s hand. The dramatic scene was something Joe felt like he was invading, but he couldn't leave without being discovered. It was too interesting to leave, anyway, and he couldn't help but watch the events unfolding before him. 

“Patrick Martin Stumpf don't you dare give up on me now. We've been through too much to let a little separation get in between us. We can still see each other at school and at the stables. And when we graduate, we can leave. We can ride off into the sunset on Ginger and Penelope and eat clouds and barf up rainbows and shit. We won't have to deal with our parents bullshit anymore. It's only another year, Trick. We can make it.”

Patrick looked lovingly at Pete. He wrapped his arm around the other boy’s waist and pulled him into a tight embrace. Joe took a step forward unintentionally, accidentally knocking over the huge stack of hay. All he could do is watch in horror as it all fell, and when the dust cleared, he could see two sets of eyes staring at him in shock. 

Joe waved awkwardly at the two boys staring at him, “uh, hi.”

“W-who are you?” Patrick stuttered, slowly backing away from the fallen piles of hay. 

Joe nervously scratched his head, “I'm Joe. I, uh, well just moved here. This is my barn.” 

Pete grabbed Patrick’s hand again, squeezing it tightly, “I'm so sorry, my friend and I should, uh, we should be going.”

The boys turned to run out of the door, but Joe interjected. “No wait,” he said, making the boys stop in their tracks, “It's really okay if you stay. I heard you two talking and it's okay. We are going to have some pigs here eventually, but you two are free to hang out here whenever. My parents shouldn't mind, I'll just tell them you're friends.” 

Patrick and Pete looked at each other. Their eyes were communicating in a way Joe didn't understand, but he just stared, waiting for an answer. Finally, the boys nodded at one another, and returned their gazes of him. 

“Thank you, er- Joe, was it?” Patrick questioned. 

Joe nodded, “Pete and Patrick, right?” 

The boys nodded and formally introduced themselves. 

“So, are you gonna go to Orville High?” Pete asked eventually, after their introductions had concluded. 

“Uh, yeah, I think so. What's it like there?” Joe asked. 

Pete’s lips curled up into a smile, “It's fucking awful. Just a bunch of homophobic country guys and their prissy girlfriends.” 

Patrick slightly hit Pete’s arm, “Pete!”

“What? You know it's true!” He laughed. 

“Well, yeah, but you probably shouldn't say it!” 

“Do you guys know my neighbor? My parents are making me meet him tomorrow,” Joe asked, interrupting the quarrel. 

“Andy Hurley? Nobody really knows him, he's just quiet. His family has the stables that Pete and I work at. He's out with the horses a lot, training them, but he doesn't talk to people much. It'll be a miracle to befriend him. His only friends seem to be the horses,” Patrick explained. 

“Yeah, Trick’s pretty much got it with that description. Good luck with that,” Pete replied. 

Joe suddenly remembered his house, which he was supposed to be in. He suddenly started to panic. He felt his heart pounding in his chest. “Uh, I gotta go now, I'm supposed to be in my room. You guys can stay, though, I'll see you around?” 

The two boys blinked, noticing Joe’s sudden change in behavior. They quickly shrugged it off, though. They wished him farewell as he cracked open the barn door. He looked inside the kitchen window and no longer saw his parents sitting there. He then looked at his window, still wide open. He made a mad dash for the house, hoping wherever his parents were, they couldn't see him sprinting like a madman through their yard. 

Joe climbed up the side of the house and crawled in the window. He closed it behind him, and exhaled loudly. He rested his back against the glass and closed his eyes. It was weird, what had just happened. He was exhausted from the move, and just didn't want to deal with reality. He sighed, and crawled over to the side of the room where his sleeping bag was. Joe unraveled the bundle of fabric and spread it out against the hard floor. It wasn't much of a cushion, but it helped to buffer the not-so-soft carpet underneath. He tossed and turned for most of the night, and his sleep could be described as anything but peaceful, but eventually, his eyes snapped shut and he was able to get some rest.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of a rooster bolted him awake. He immediately sat upright as the bird cried out into the morning sky. Joe, frustrated, put his pillow over his ears and laid back down. He tossed and turned for a few more minutes before deciding getting more sleep was hopeless, and he would now just have to deal with the day. 

Stretching his arms, Joe sat up and looked out the window. The sunrise sent streaks of pinks and purples around the new day’s sky. It was a sight he wasn't used to, but it was quite beautiful to witness. The sky looked like a beautiful watercolor painting, and the barn in the foreground was the subject being highlighted by sunrise. 

He thought back on the day before, and the boys he'd met. He still wasn't exactly sure how to feel about them, but they seemed like they'd be kind. To Joe, all that really mattered was that they weren't complete assholes like he'd imagined everyone in the area would be. In fact, seeing two boys helplessly in love with one another looked promising to him; maybe there were other cute gay boys in the area. 

Joe shook away the thought. He couldn't fall in love with anyone here. Soon enough, he'd be gone for college. He'd decided as soon as they'd arrived that when the opportunity arose, he would be gone in a heartbeat. He knew he wouldn't be able to break someone’s heart and leave like that. He had never been in a relationship before, but he could only image how horrible it would be to be left so suddenly. In that moment, Joe promised himself he wouldn't get involved with anyone in the town. Hell, knowing his dad, they could even be moving again within the next few months. 

His stomach grumbled, so he decided to get some breakfast. Still dressed in yesterday’s clothes, Joe headed down the creaky staircase and looked in the near-empty pantry once he arrived in the bare kitchen. He grabbed the one box of cereal they had and poured it into an empty bowl. He then remembered that they hadn't installed the fridge yet, so they had no milk. He groaned, but then reluctantly shoveled dry cereal into his mouth with his hands. 

“Good morning, kiddo, your mother and I are heading out. We're gonna go get stuff for the house. Don't get into too much trouble while we're gone,” Joe’s dad said while coming down the stairs. 

Joe waved with his free hand. His mouth was full of dry cereal, so he was unable to speak. His parents rushed past him, leaving in a hurry. The door slammed shut behind them and left the cold, spring air in the house. A chill ran up Joe’s spine from the sudden cold, but it also felt nice. He heard the engine of the family truck whirr to life, and then heard it disappear into the distance as he finished off his bowl of dry cereal. 

There was nothing to do in the bare house. Joe explored the farm house, which was fairly big, but there was nothing interesting about it. The only place that was slightly of interest was the basement, but he'd looked through most of the items down there yesterday. He was still without his guitar tuner, which was somewhere on a moving truck heading to his house, so he couldn't even play the beautiful guitar he'd found the day prior. So, he reached for his phone and held it up, still trying to find a signal. 

He was still unable to obtain a signal. He wanted to throw his phone in frustration, but he knew his dad would be pissed if he were to do so. So, Joe simply sighed and placed the phone down on the ground in his room. He shuffled around in his book bag, looking for something to do. Dug through his random assortment of junk until he dug up a gem: his Game Boy Color. He checked the game inside: Tetris. Having nothing better to do, he turned on the device and started to play the game. Although he'd never really liked it, he still got quite competitive with himself, trying to break through the levels like he'd never been able to. 

As the sun rose further up into the country sky, it got increasingly hotter. Joe’s skin began to become wet with sweat, making his own skin uncomfortable and the clothes he was wearing unbearable. Opening his window didn't help: it just allowed the hotter-than-usual spring air to infiltrate the house further. Seeing as no one was home to judge him, he decided to strip down, hoping to cool off. He removed his jeans and t-shirt from yesterday and sat on his bedroom floor in only his underwear. This cooled him off significantly, and allowed him to lean back on the cool wall and feel relieved. He went back to his grueling game of Tetris. 

About an hour later, he heard the doorbell chime. He hadn't heard his parent’s truck pull up, nor did he hear them, so he went downstairs to answer it. He was sure the guest could hear the stairs creak while he walked down them. Joe’s bare feet hit the wooden floor of the dining room, causing another creak to ring out throughout the house. He pressed his hand against the doorknob and turned it slowly, unveiling the guest.

His bright, blue-green eyes were the first thing Joe noticed. The beautiful ovals left him quite flustered, making Joe have to suppress a blush. He examined the other features of the gorgeous man. His hair was long, and he was wearing a white button-up shirt with black pants, like he'd just come from a semi-formal event. Joe then realized who it was: Andy Hurley. He'd forgotten about their arranged meeting. 

“Uh… hi…. Are you Joe?” Andy asked not looking Joe in the eyes but rather looking down at Joe’s clothes. Or rather, his lack of them. This caused Joe to look down to try to see what the boy was looking out. And then he remembered. 

“Shit!” he yelled, panicking and slamming the door on the other boy, “sorry! Uh, I'll go put clothes on!”

Joe bolted up the stairs and slammed his bedroom door behind him. His breathing was heavy, and he sank down to the floor and let the feelings he'd held inside finally creep up and express themselves on his cheeks, turning them a rosy red. He didn't think a boy living out here could be so attractive, or could look so damn good wearing church clothes. 

“He's probably just a homophobic asshole, Joe, get your shit together!” he argued with himself. 

Joe stood up and quickly threw on some shorts and a t-shirt he had stored away in his book bag. He quickly laced up his old sneakers and headed back down the stairs. He took a deep breath when he answered the door, but he still wasn't prepared to face the attractive boy waiting for him on the other side. 

He opened the door again, but this time Andy wasn't staring back at him. Rather, his arms were crossed and he was staring down at his shoes. Joe’s smile he put on the impress the boy faded when he noticed this. 

“Can I look now? You have clothes on now, right? I'm not going to look up and you be naked, right?” Andy joked. 

This brought back the smile on Joe’s face. The sides of his lips curled up, and he let out a slight chuckle, “yes, I'm so sorry about that.”

Andy’s eyes locked with Joe’s and the boys laughed together for a moment. The contrast between the boys was an interesting sight. Joe was completely dressed down while Andy had just returned home from church, so he was wearing his nice clothing. Both boys were awkwardly tall and scrawny, as they were both in the awkward stages of being a teenage boy. Joe kept trying not to blush at the boy, but it was difficult. He couldn't deny his attractiveness. His eyes were what caught him the most. Joe felt like he could look into those bright oceans swirling in his head forever. 

He shook of the thought, once again realizing that he didn't even know the guy. He could have been the biggest asshole in all the countryside, and he wouldn't even know. Pete and Patrick had mentioned that he had no friends, and there could be a legitimate reason for that. Joe returned to just a look of friendliness, and offered his hand out. 

“As you already kind of know, I'm Joe. And you're Andy, right?” He asked, as the other boy grabbed it for a shake. 

“Yeah, I'm Andy, Andy Hurley. Nice to meet you, Joe,” he replied, having a very firm but sweaty grip on Joe’s hand. 

They let go of the handshake, and Joe placed his hand in his hair, scratching his scalp nervously. 

“Do you wanna come in? It's pretty hot out there,” Joe said, inviting Andy inside. 

The boy stepped inside of the house. Joe shut the door behind him, and looked around, searching for a topic of conversation. He settled on commenting on the vast emptiness of the house. 

“Yeah, it's pretty empty right now. Our stuff should be here either later today or tomorrow,” Joe said as the two boys stood in the kitchen. 

“I could help you guys move in if you need it,” Andy offered, looking over at Joe. 

Joe tried to avoid his eyes, not wanting to sink deeper into the sea. The last thing he wanted to do was drown in the waves of a man he'd just met. 

“That's okay,” Joe replied, “we have moving guys to help us.” 

The boys stood in awkward silence. Joe tried to think of something to say, but no words could come out. His mouth was dry, and he chewed on his tongue to try to prevent himself from saying something stupid. He wanted to get to know the boy, but at the same time, he feared he'd be too perfect. Joe knew he couldn't fall for someone so quickly. With his family always moving around, who knows how long he could even be around. 

“So why'd you guys move out here?” Andy asked, pulling Joe out of his train of thought. 

“Oh, uh, my dad's work is making a new office out here and he's overseeing it or whatever,” Joe replied. 

Andy nodded. Joe swallowed the giant ball of spit forming in his throat, making it hard for him to speak. His nervousness prevented him from formulating the rights words to say, no matter how hard he thought. They just stood in silence in Joe’s dining room. 

Joe peered over at the kitchen, where some stools sat at the kitchen island, “do you want to sit or something?” 

Andy looked around until he rested his eyes on the clock just above the kitchen counters. 

“Uh, actually I've gotta go. See you at school?” He questioned, shuffling his feet towards the front door. 

Joe rushed over to the door to open it for him. In the process he stepped on Andy’s foot, making the boy yelp in pain. 

Joe’s eyes widened, “I'm sorry,” he frantically apologized. 

Without another word, Andy slipped out of the front door. When it closed, Joe dramatically flopped down on the kitchen floor. It cooled his sweaty body, and he just sighed. 

“Well, that went great,” he remarked to himself sarcastically.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I hope you enjoy this chapter, you meet (most of) the main characters in this one.

Though he laid on the floor for a devastating amount of time, just soaking in embarrassment, he later decided he didn't want to waste the rest of his day. He peeled his sticky, sweaty body from the hardwood floor, causing a gruesome suction-cup like sound to be made. He stretched, and then headed up the creaky hardwood stairs. It was only late March, but the weather was absolutely like a hot, summer day. Joe couldn't believe it was anything but mid-July, but that was unfortunately not the case. 

He left a note for his parents, just in case they returned while he was away. Joe then left the house. He looked in both directions, trying to decide which way Andy’s house wasn't. He did not feel like accidentally crossing paths with him again, not after their embarrassment of a meeting. Joe decided to go right, seeing as that house didn't seem to have a barn behind it.

He trudged along the road, which was mostly just a thick layer of gravel. They were so far out in the country now that only the roads of the small town were paved. The town was about ten miles from Joe’s house, which was also where the school was. He decided to explore a bit of it, so he headed in the direction he assumed it was, seeing as the gravel paths became nicer as he walked along them. 

Along the way, trucks flew by at lightning speeds, driving a lit faster than they should on gravel. Their tires stirred up the rocks and sent them flying in every direction, occasionally pelting Joe with the point spears of pain. He walked more in the grass than on the side of the road after the first truck had stirred up the rocks, but a few strays usually came hurling in his direction with each passing vehicle. 

“You really shouldn't walk that close to the road,” Joe suddenly heard a familiar voice shout, “the rocks are gonna get you!” 

Joe turned to the field across the road from him to find Pete. The boy was shirtless and kneeling over a box of soil. Joe looked both ways before crossing the street, making sure no more trucks were coming. He then proceeded to cross, and found Pete with a small shovel in his hands, them dirty. 

“It's a little bit early to be planting, don't you think?” Joe asked when he reached the side of the box. 

“It's just my little personal garden, and with the weather we're getting right now I'm sure they'll do fine. Just some herbs and a few vegetables. My family likes to grow our own produce,” Pete explained, wiping his soil-covered hands on his darkened jeans. 

Joe looked around at the property. It seemed they owned a large plot of land, used for a lot of farming. He spotted a large farm house nearby. It was nice looking, and looked fairly new. 

“Is that your house? It's pretty nice,” Joe remarked, eyeing the nice architecture. 

Pete smiled, “yeah we just got it remodeled. Our last harvest did very well, so we had a lot of extra money this time around. This year is a year for soybeans, though, so sales probably won't be as high as last year. That was the corn year, those are always the best.”

This Pete guy sure loves to ramble, Joe thought to himself. 

Still, though, he seemed quite friendly. Plus, he was dating that Patrick guy, so that means he wasn't homophobic. He thought he could be friends with him, at least for the time being. 

“So, where are you heading?” Pete asked, slightly tilting his head in a questioning manner. 

“Oh, I'm going to town. I just wanna see around a bit,” Joe replied. 

Pete got up. He stood just a bit shorter than Joe, which made conversation a bit awkward. He looked down slightly so he could make eye contact with the shorter boy. 

“I can take you. We can hang out a little. A thanks, for letting ‘Trick and I meet at your barn. Deal?” Pete asked, extending his arm for a handshake. 

Joe took the boy’s head, and they exchanged a friendly handshake. It was much different than the sweaty one he'd had earlier with Andy. Pete had a lot less of a grip, and this was more casual than a formal greeting. 

The two boys marched into town. They made casual small talk, but nothing eventful. They eventually made it to the small town, which was just a few streets of shops and the high school on one end with City Hall just across the way. The middle school was right next to the high school, with the Elementary school being on the opposite side of town (which they could still see from the high school). They stood in front of the high school for a moment. 

“And here, is the hell-hole,” Pete introduced, gesturing towards the school. 

“Thanks Wentz! Y’know, you're not lookin’ too good yourself!” They heard a voice call from inside the closed gates of the school. 

A figure appeared out of the shadows, followed by two others on either side of the original. A girl with black pigtails and bright red lipstick approached. She was guarded by two lanky boys, who seemed to be more like her bodyguards than friends. The one on her left had spiky brown hair and glasses, while the other had hair somehow curlier than Joe’s, and much longer too. 

“Lindsey, what’s up?” Pete asked, waving at the girl and the boys. 

A sly smile creeped onto the girls lips. She seemed menacing, and also like she could possibly be a vampire. Her makeup was heavy, but it extenuated her natural beauty. Her black t-shirt was covered by white suspenders attached to a black skirt. She had boots up to her knees that were also black. Joe couldn't understand how she wasn't dying of heat exhaustion with so much black on. The two boys standing next to her were dressed more appropriately, sporting basketball shorts and short-sleeved t-shirts. 

Lindsey put her fingers through the metal gate separating her from Joe and Pete. Joe kind of liked it that way; it made him feel safe from the supernatural creature just on the other side. 

“Just supervising the kiddos while Gerard and Frank are who knows where doing who knows what,” Lindsey replied, smiling sweetly at Pete, but then looking at Joe, “Pete, who's this?” 

Pete glanced at Joe, who was just nervously staring at the girl on the other side. He wasn't sure what to say. Pete nudged Joe with his elbow, so he just croaked out, “I'm Joe.” 

Lindsey laughed, and then just smiled at Joe in a slightly menacing and somewhat condescending way. 

“What, you've never seen a goth before? I'm not a fuckin’ vampire, you dork. Ha! He looks like he's just seen a ghost!” She laughed after a few moments. 

“He's a city boy, just moved out here. He probably just wasn't prepared to see goths out here. I'm sure he saw many in the cities,” Pete replied, defending Joe a little. 

It was true, Joe hadn't been expecting someone like her to be out in the middle of nowhere. He wondered how she acquired such a wardrobe, as he was certain he'd seen no shops in town that would sell such items of clothing. Most stores around only sold flowery dresses and farming clothes like the overalls Pete was sporting, still shirtless as he paraded around town.

“Yeah, what Pete said,” Joe replied quickly, shoving his hands in the pockets of his shorts. 

Lindsey just smiled, but then looked at the boys on either side of her. A light bulb of recognition seemed to go off in her head, as she then burst to life again. 

“Oh, let me introduce the children!” She said, clasping her hands together in front of her body in a seemingly innocent manner. 

The one with spiky hair groaned, “we're not children, Linz, stop calling us that.” 

She then proceed to put her hands on her hips in a dramatic way, “you're a freshman. He's a sophomore. Children!” 

The spiky-haired one just rolled his eyes as Lindsey proceeded with her dialogue. She swung her arms out to gesture towards the curly-haired boy. 

“This is Ray. He's kinda quiet unless he knows you well. He never shuts up when Mikey’s around though. Guess that's how it is with young ones,” She said, as Ray gave a little wave towards Joe. 

She swung her arms in the opposite direction, now gesturing towards the spiky-haired boy, “and this sarcastic little shit is Mikey, my boyfriend's little brother. My boyfriend is Gerard, he's probably off fuckin’ our boyfriend Frank.” 

That was more information than Joe needed, but he didn't mind. It seemed there were more LGBT people in this town than he expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Everyone he'd met so far seemed pretty chill, and like people he could ride out the rest of high school with. Though, of course Pete would befriend these people. Gays tend to flock together, as Joe knows from his previous friends. The people he'd met so far in this town were most likely the only gay people for miles, and were most likely all closeted. He knew Pete and Patrick were, at least. 

“Where's Patrick?” Lindsey asked, suddenly realizing the other boys absence.   
“He's working today. I got the day off,” Pete answered. 

“Ah, I see,” she looked over at Joe again, “say, do you wanna take city boy up to the spot?” 

Pete looked over at Joe and smirked. A strange feeling of nervousness crept over Joe. He felt like he was about to be initiated into some country cult. 

“Let's do it,” Pete replied mysteriously. He then began to climb the gate to the school. For a little guy, he sure could climb. Joe jumped up and struggled a bit, but eventually scaled the gate and jumped over to the other side. 

“Hey, what are you kids doing?” They heard a voice call out. Without a single thought, all of the kids began running. Joe hesitated a second, but then joined them. He didn't want to get in trouble during his first time in the small, country town. He assumed word spread fast around there, seeing as the population was extremely tiny. 

The group ran, Lindsey laughing as the did, until they reached a shadowy, creepy, stone bridge behind the school. Underneath was just dry land, so Joe wasn't sure why the bridge was necessary. He saw two people underneath as the approached, one laying on top of the other. The others kept on like they weren't intruding on anything, though, so Joe did the same, not knowing what else to do.

“Weekes, Seaman, stop groping each other when there are children present!” Lindsey chuckled at the two boys. 

A blue-haired boy was laying on top, and when he heard Lindsey’s booming voice he quickly rolled off of the taller boy. The one on the bottom’s face was a shade of crimson red, obviously out of embarrassment. The blue-haired boy, though, he simply chuckled along with the girl. 

“Who is that?” Ryan asked, spotting Joe. 

Joe was standing next to Pete, basically clinging onto him. The odd circumstances of meeting this cast of characters was a bit overwhelming for the boy. He'd never met this many people at once. At a bigger school, he only had his small group of friends. It seemed like here, everyone knew each other and was connected in some way. 

“This,” Pete replied, nudging Joe with his elbow, “is Joe.” 

The brown haired boy smiled while Ryan stood up. Lindsey smirked in the boy’s direction. 

“You like what you see, Dal? He is a pretty city boy, isn't he?” She joked. 

Dallon’s smile turned to a frown when he heard the girls words. “No, Lindsey. I only have eyes for the man I was making out with two seconds ago. Polyamory doesn't work for everyone.” 

“But it sure is a lot of fun for me and my boys. Don't knock it till you try it!” Lindsey replied cheerfully. 

“Is he even gay?” Dallon asked, looking at Joe up and down. 

“I dunno,” Ryan said, walking over to Joe and inspecting him, “seems pretty straight to me.” 

Joe began to blush. He was gay, and people knew, but he wasn't sure he wanted to reveal that fact to a bunch of strangers. Though, he did know that most of them were LGBT in some way, but he wasn't sure about the two young boys. _Though, if they hang out with her,_ Joe thought, _they probably are._

“I'm not gay. I'm hella fuckin’ gay,” Joe smirked. 

“We got another one!” Pete yelled, raising Joe’s arm while the rest of the group whooped and cheered joyfully.

As Joe looked around at all the cheering people, he realized that maybe this wouldn't be so bad. Maybe this small-town group of country gays could really help him find who he is, and who he wants to be. Besides, who would pick on such a big group? Joe was beginning to grow excited to start school the next day, and he didn't even think about the embarrassment of earlier.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for like, really inconsistent chapter updates. I'll try to work out a schedule for this story, but in the meantime here's Chapter 5!

Joe returned home later than he'd expected. It was getting dark by the time he came home. When he got there, the house was filled with boxes. Their main pieces of furniture were there, like their couch and dining room table, but most of their smaller possessions were still packed up. He found his mother and father laying on the couch, exhausted from the move. His mother’s head was resting in his father’s lap and he was stroking her long, silky hair. They raised their heads when Joe walked in the room. 

“Hello, Joe,” his father said when he spotted him, “where have you been all day?” 

“Hanging out,” Joe replied nonchalantly, “I met some cool people.” 

“How was that Andy boy? Was he one of them?” His mother asked, sitting up on the couch. 

Joe leaned against the wall across from the couch, “he was cool, but no, we didn't hang out for that long. I just went to town and met some people there that go to the high school.” 

“That sounds nice, sweetie. But you should have been home earlier to help,” His mother replied. 

“I'm sorry Mom, I didn't know. I'll help unpack more boxes after school tomorrow, okay?” Joe asked. 

His father sighed, “that will be alright. There are leftovers from dinner on the table if you want any.” 

Joe nodded, but went up the stairs to his room. His sleeping bag and backpack were stacked neatly on his bed, which had been reassembled and placed in his room. He was thankful his parents had done that for him, because he really did not want to have to spend another night on the hard floor. He flopped down onto the soft sheets and fell asleep almost instantly. 

His eyes cracked open and he immediately looked at his alarm clock. He wished he had more time to sleep, but his alarm was set to go off in one minute. Joe turned it off and sighed, clutching his pillow tightly to his chest. He didn't want to get up, but he knew he had to. 

He got ready by throwing on a black hoodie and some jeans. He combed through his curly hair quickly, not really caring what it looked like. It's not like he had anyone to impress. He grabbed his backpack that he had filled with a few notebooks and pencils and went downstairs. He found his shoes by the door and quickly put them on. Joe then quickly headed to the kitchen, grabbed a granola bar, and headed out the door. 

Joe grumbled as he walked to the bus stop. At his old school, it had been just down the street, but now he had to walk extremely far away to even be in sight of the bus route. As he left his house, he spotted Andy walking in the same direction he'd have to go. It hadn't really occurred to Joe that he'd have to ride the bus with him, but now the realization put a lump in his chest. He didn't want to have to see his pretty face around. This was going to make it much harder to ignore the boy. 

Joe tried to make sure he walked fast enough to avoid conversation, but it didn't work. It seemed like Andy was trying to catch up to him, as he was walking quite fast. Joe sighed and started slowing down so the other boy could catch up. Soon, they were walking side by side, but neither boy was speaking. An awkward silence just loomed in the air, until Joe finally got the courage to say something. 

“You were walking kind of fast,” Joe commented, shoving his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, “what was that about?” 

Andy looked over at Joe, and they locked eyes for a moment. Then Andy just simply looked back down at the ground. “I just wanted someone to walk with. Is that so much of a crime?” 

Joe shook his head, “no, but I thought you'd want to avoid me after I crushed your foot yesterday.” 

“You, you seem cool. That's all,” Andy replied. 

The boys soon reached the bus stop, and the vehicle pulled up at the street corner. Kids that Joe didn't recognize piled into the bus. Joe looked around as the seats filled up. Andy had gotten on before him, and was sitting alone. He really didn't want to, but we knew he would be forced unless he wanted to sit with a stranger. He went towards Andy, and simply asked if he could sit there. Andy nodded, and he plopped down next to the boy. 

The spring fields were being plowed and prepared for the seeds to be planted. The adult farmers were working with their tractors in the flat fields of the countryside. People in overalls were driving tractors and checking their irrigation systems to make sure everything was ready for the crops that would be planted soon. Joe observed this through the bus window, staring past the boy sitting next to him. He became so absorbed in the scenery he began leaning in a little, trying to get a better view. Without realizing it, he rested his chin on Andy’s shoulder. 

The boy tensed up, which made Joe realize what he was doing. He quickly pulled his head back and looked the other way. He mumbled an apology, but Andy didn't say anything. He just continued staring at the seat in front of them. Joe locked eyes with the boy across the aisle, who had been looking at them. 

The boy was skinny with brown hair flopped over into his face. It wasn't exactly a fringe, but rather it was just gravity pulling his hair down in an awkward position. He simply mouthed the word “faggot” before turning his head away from the boys. Joe just rolled his eyes. He knew he was gay, there was no reason for other people to point it out. 

When the bus arrived at the school, Joe headed for the front office. He knew he needed to go there in order to receive his schedule. The school, which he'd seen yesterday, was extremely tiny. There were only 350 students attending it, with only 100 of those in the Junior class. Joe was used to the large school he used to go to, a school of over 3,000 students. 

He received his schedule and a map of the school fairly quickly, and headed for his first class: Chemistry. The school, being as small as it was, was fairly easy to navigate. He arrived at his first class before the bell rang and observed the people in the room. Joe first locked eyes with Andy, sitting in the front of the class next to the boy that had called him the f-word earlier. He looked around more and spotted two familiar people sitting near the back of the room. Dallon and Patrick gestured to Joe. He walked over and took the empty seat next to Dallon. 

“Welcome to this High School. Spoiler alert: it sucks,” Dallon laughed, prompting Patrick to do the same. 

Joe cracked a smile at the two boys, “yeah, I'm sure. Say, who's that guy sitting next to Andy?” 

“Him? That's Brendon Urie. Do not mess with that guy, he's the biggest douchebag in all of Illinois. And that's saying something, taking into account of the assholes that go here,” Patrick explained. 

“Is Andy friends with him?” Joe asked, staring at the back of Andy’s head. 

“Like I said in the barn, he's not really friends with anyone. He talks to them, sure, but he's not really close. Hey, how'd it go talking to him?” Patrick asked. 

Joe remembered that experience and cringed. 

“I take it by your face it didn't go excellently?” Patrick questioned. 

“Yeah, it was kind of really awkward. I may or may not have opened the door in my underwater,” Joe explained.

Patrick and Dallon burst out into uncontrollable laughter. The bell rang soon after, causing them to promptly stop. The teacher walked in the room and shut the door. She was a stout, old woman with wrinkles covering her face and a prominent mole right next to her nose. 

“Hello class, welcome back from your weekend,” she began, her voice bold and menacing compared to her appearance, “we have a new student. Joe, would you like to introduce yourself?”

All of the students in the class turned to look at Joe. He didn't like the attention being all on him, and he suppressed a blush of embarrassment. He just simply said, “uh, hi, I'm Joe.” 

The class turned back around to face the front. Joe saw some girls whispering to each other, as well as Brendon and Andy exchanging whispers with one another. The two girls in front of him whispered to one another, and then one giggled loudly. She turned around to face Joe. 

“My friend thinks you're cute,” she said, while the other girl tried to cover her mouth with her hand. 

Joe blushed out of embarrassment then, and Dallon whispered to him, “well, it's too bad you're gay then, huh?” 

Joe and Dallon chuckled slightly. Throughout all of this, the teacher was droning on about whatever the days subject matter was. Since they sat in the back, she didn't notice that the three boys weren't paying attention at all, but instead just talking. 

“We usually just copy Ryan’s notes. He's really the only one out of us who cares about this class,” Dallon said.

“I only really pay attention in Band. Speaking of which, which elective do you have, Joe?” Patrick asked. 

Joe peered down at his schedule sitting on top of his desk. “Uh… it says here I have Choir last period.” 

“Sweet, I have that too,” Dallon replied, “so do Pete and Gerard. You haven't met Gerard yet, have you?” Joe shook his head. “He's like, the chillest guy you'll ever meet, trust me. And he's an amazing singer too,” Dallon explained.

“Let me just tell you a brief summary of everyone in our little group,” Patrick began, “Pete, as you know, is my boyfriend. He's closest friends with Lindsey. Lindsey is a character, really. A bit eccentric, but still awesome to be around. She's dating Gerard and Frank. Frank is a bit aggressive. Not, like, towards his friends, but towards the world I guess. He's got a lot of rage in one little guy. Then you got Gerard’s little brother Mikey. He's pretty quiet, but if you get him started on music he'll talk for hours. And then there's his best friend Ray. Ray is also quiet, but you put the two in a room together and they'll be the loudest people there. We're all, like, ninety-nine point nine percent sure they like each other. We're the group of gays in this town. As far as we know, we're the only ones for miles, so we gotta keep it each other close.” 

Joe took in all the information. It was nice to know, so he would know what to expect when he met the two others. The boys talked for the rest of the period until the bell rang. Joe packed up his bag and left quickly, with Dallon and Patrick at his sides. 

“See, he even hangs with the faggots too,” Brendon sneered, glaring in the boys’ direction. 

Joe looked over to Andy, who was sitting silently with his eyes pointed towards the floor. He saw the boy mouth the word ‘sorry’ before he was whisked away by Patrick and Dallon, who just rolled their eyes at Brendon’s hateful comment. 

“See what I mean? Absolute douche,” Patrick commented. 

In the next three periods, he didn't have anyone he recognized in them. He just sat silently in the back of the room as the teachers droned on and on about their particular subjects. He took some notes, but he mostly just doodled in his sketchbook. During fourth period, he caught himself drawing a very familiar person. His long hair and dazzling eyes were his main identifying factor. Joe shut his notebook when he realized he'd been subconsciously drawing Andy. He sighed, and put his hands in his head for the rest of that class. He was hopelessly falling for a boy next door he'd talked to twice. What kind of cliché was his life turning into? 

Next period was Joe’s lunch period. He walked into his English class and scanned it quickly for anyone he knew. The only familiar face was Andy, and there just so happened to be the only empty seat right next to him. _You've got to be kidding me,_ Joe thought. 

He trudged over to the empty desk and put his backpack on the back of the chair. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Andy’s lips curl into a smile. His smile was oh so handsome, and Joe had to try extremely hard to fight back the shade of red that threatened to consume his cheeks.

“How has your day been so far?” Andy asked casually, facing Joe. 

Joe knew if he looked at Andy’s eyes again he'd blush, so instead he focused on the poster of F. Scott Fitzgerald just behind his head. He looked into the author’s black-and-white eyes as he spoke, “It's gone alright, I guess. It's kind of weird coming in to the school in the middle of all of the curriculums.” 

Andy noticed Joe’s eyes were not on him, so he turned around to see what he was looking at. Andy turned back around and chuckled slightly, before saying, “it looks like you're eye-fucking the author of Great Gatsby.” 

Joe laughed along, but all he could do was admire the beauty and boyish charms of the other man sitting right next to him. He loved the way his lips looked when they were smiling, and he couldn't get enough of the way it looked when his hair flowed effortlessly behind his body as he moved. He caught himself staring for a bit too long, and also started to feel his cheeks heating up. Joe knew he was full on blushing at this point, but there was nothing he could do about it at that point. 

Soon, it was time for lunch. The two boys became separated in the crowded hallway as herds of ravenous teenagers rushed towards the cafeteria, seeking sustenance. Joe followed the flow of fellow students, and eventually found his way to the crowded cafeteria. Kids lined up in a long, bendy line. He joined it, and scanned the cliques at the tables. He found Brendon sitting with a bunch of other boys who looked equally douche-y. He saw Lindsey sitting with two boys, who Joe assumed were Gerard and Frank. Mikey and Ray were sitting next to each other at the same table. He saw Patrick and Pete approach the table, laughing with trays of disgusting looking food in their hands. Joe smiled, and decided he'd try to find that table after he got his food. 

After he got his food, he headed towards the table of familiar faces. They all smiled as Joe approached. Pete pulled up a chair from a nearby table and let Joe sit in it, right in between Lindsey and Pete. Joe scanned the lunchroom quickly again. He spotted Andy at a table alone, eating a packed lunch by himself. The conversations flying around Joe were missing his ears as he fixated himself on the boy. 

Patrick soon noticed his behavior. He looked over at Joe, who was staring over his shoulder. Patrick turned around and saw Andy sitting alone, and realized what Joe was staring at. The conversations were disrupted when the sound of a chair being pushed out erupted, and Patrick left the table. 

“Patrick, what are you-” Pete began to ask. 

Joe watched as Patrick approached Andy. As soon as he did, Joe felt glares coming at him from across the lunch room. He saw Brendon Urie and his groupies get up from their table and march their way over to where Andy and Patrick were talking. He watched as Brendon nudged Andy’s shoulder. He frowned, and looked at Joe with a kind of ‘save me’ look on his face. Joe stood up from the table and walked over to where the boys were. 

Brendon had his hand on Andy’s shoulder. He sat there uncomfortably as Patrick tried to reason with him. “Brendon, what are you even talking about? None of us are gay, and even if we were it wouldn't matter. We aren't trying to ‘corrupt’ anyone, that doesn't even make sense!” 

Brendon glared at Joe as he approached, “that's the gay boy that was touching Andy today on the bus. He's trying to corrupt him, turn him into one of you. I won't let that happen to poor, little Andy.”

That made Joe’s blood boil. If there was one thing in this world he couldn't stand, it was blatant homophobia. 

‘“Say that one more time and I swear to god-” 

“What the fuck are you gonna do, pretty boy?” Brendon spat, his gaggle of boys closing in on Joe. 

“Fight! Fight! Fight!” Joe began to hear the chants erupt throughout the lunchroom. 

Brendon’s forehead was almost pressed against Joe’s. His lips curled upward into a mischievous smile. “If you wanna, go, let’s go, city boy.” 

Out of pure spite, Joe knew what he needed to do. He grabbed the back of Brendon’s head and shoved his lips onto his own. While doing so, he stepped back slightly and gave Brendon a swift kick to the balls. Their lips disconnected and the boy fell backwards onto the cafeteria floor. Joe had a smirk on his face as he looked back at his table. Everyone was sitting silently and staring at him, and he wasn't sure why. He then noticed a looming figure standing next to their table. 

“My office. Now.” The old woman spoke. 

The smirk dropped from Joe’s face. _I'm fucked._


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long wait between chapters! I just got really uninspired for awhile and had major writer's block, but I'm coming back! I hope you dont mind an inconsistent updating schedule with this story, but I just need to get back into the swing of writing. Thanks for all of your nice comments on the last chapters, and I hope you like this one too!

Since this was Joe’s first offense, the principal let him off easy. But, he was not saved from the wrath of his parents, who had to pick him up from school early. He knew he was screwed as soon as those words left the mouth of the principal. Brendon sat in the office, an ice pack on his groin, and recounted his side of the story. He, of course, played it in favor of himself. Joe didn't even argue. He knew she'd take Brendon’s side, since he was a new student. 

When his parents arrived, Joe hesitated to get up from his chair. He knew as soon as they left the room the argument would start. Things were strained enough with his dad because of the move; he didn't wish to damage the relationship further. Though, the damage was already done, and the fight wasn't as bad as it could have been. 

The principal’s door slammed shut behind him as he left. He was right about the arguing, because as soon as the door’s lock click, his father’s mouth opened. 

“You know you're grounded, correct?” He inquired, pretending to be calm. Joe could see the red anger creeping onto his face though, so he simply nodded his head as a response. He kept his eyes on the ground as much as possible as he and his parents walked towards the exit of the school. 

“Joe, it was only your first day, what could have possibly happened to make you do such a thing?” His mother asked, looking as if she was about to cry. 

Joe hesitated before speaking, making sure to choose his words carefully, “he was being… ignorant, I guess, to someone. Someone that seems cool to me. And then he started running his mouth to my acquaintances, and I got angry.” 

His dad shook his head, “you know not to resort to violence, Joe, how many times have we-” 

“We’ve been over this many times, Dad, but this was a weird situation. You wouldn't understand!” Joe raised his voice a bit. This made his dad turn in front of him and stop, right in his tracks. 

“You know not to yell at me, son. Look. I know this move was difficult, and I know adjustment is hard, but you can't act out like this. You need to find a healthy outlet for all this- stress, anger, I don't know Joe,” he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “we're trying to raise you the best we can. But if you act out like this again there's really nothing we can do. We can't go back Joe. This is our new home, and you have to respect that.”

Joe’s frustration tripled. His dad didn't even know what the fight was about, so he thought he had no right to talk about it. However, he simply shrugged it off. There was no use in arguing. He knew he'd just be grounded longer if he even attempted to say anything after that point. His dad just patted him on the shoulders and turned away, and they headed towards the doors in silence. 

He was locked away in his room. His phone was taken, his Game Boy confiscated, and all he could do was sit on his bed and stare at the bare ceiling. He sighed, but then suddenly remembered something. Joe got up, stretched, and looked around at all of the boxes around his room. _Mine as well make use of my time,_ he thought, standing up. 

He ripped the tape off of the slightly-damp box to reveal its contents. It was just some of the trinkets he kept on his bedside table. He unpacked some figurines and guitar picks, but then came across something that triggered another memory. His guitar tuner. 

Joe looked at his closet. The white doors held behind him his new possession that he'd forgotten about over the past few days. He walked over to it, the floorboards creaking as he did so. He opened up the closet door and uncovered the black guitar case he'd discovered in his basement on the day they'd arrived in the house. He pulled it over to his bed, and slowly started fiddling with the knobs at the top. 

It took him about an hour to adjust everything correctly. The old guitar had been so out of tune, he at first wasn't sure if the strings were on correctly. He was able to eventually tune it, though, and was satisfied with it melodic sound. Joe had always loved guitars, and this one was no exception. He had two others, also stored away in his closet, but this one was new and exciting to him. 

The way Joe’s hands fluttered effortlessly across the strings to create such a beautiful noise was miraculous. Nobody else in his family possessed such talent, but he seemed to be a natural. The sounds seduced him, and carried him away into the night. He played for what felt like minutes but in actuality was many hours, for by the time he heard the strange knocking noise the sun had long been set. Joe looked toward the window, where the odd noise persisted. He then saw tiny objects pecking at it every few seconds. 

Joe sat his guitar down on his bed gently. He looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table. 11:30pm. _Damn,_ Joe thought, _I didn't think I was playing that long._ He turned towards the window again, and made his way towards it. He was soon able to see what was knocking at his window: small rocks. They were hitting his window at various times, not all striking forcefully, obviously to get his attention. Joe peered over the side of the roof and was then able to see who was trying to get his attention. 

Standing in the pale, spring moonlight was none other than Andy Hurley. He was wearing a black t-shirt and some old, beat-up basketball shorts. It was a side of him that Joe had yet to see, but he enjoyed the more casual style on the other boy. He smiled as he looked down at the boy. Andy’s long hair was being whirled around by the night’s slight, cooling winds. When he caught sight of Joe, his arm, which had been winding up to throw another rock, lowered. Joe’s heart fluttered when he saw the other boy’s lips curl up into a handsome smile. _Why is this like a scene out of the cheesiest gay romcom of the century?_ Joe thought. 

He opened the window, letting the cooling air rush into his room. Andy gestured towards the ground, so Joe began his descent from the roof. 

“Need help?” He heard Andy question quietly. 

“No, I'm g-” Joe began, but before he could finish his sentence, his hand slipped from the roof. He wasn't that far from the ground, but he knew falling on his ass was going to hurt, so he braced himself. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain to set in. 

However, seconds later he fluttered his eyes open. He knew he had fallen, but he hadn't hit the ground. Instead, he was curled in the other boy’s arms, looking longingly into his dreamy eyes. Andy was laughing, and nothing could make Joe’s heart pound faster than that beautiful noise. Andy had caught Joe, but then fallen back and landed on his butt on the cold, hard dirt. 

“Thanks for taking that hit for me,” Joe joked. 

Andy’s eyes lit up with Joe’s words. He laughed, “well, I owe it to you after what happened at lunch.”

Joe realized he'd probably overstayed his welcome in Andy’s arms. He got up quickly, allowing the other boy to get up as well. Joe looked back at him, his eyes reflecting the beautiful, clear moon. He wondered if Andy could feel the same romantic tension that loomed in the air, or if he just thought Joe’s drawn out stares were just his way of being friendly. He had no way of knowing, so he just admired the boy’s looks until he finally decided to speak. 

“So, yeah, I came over to thank you,” Andy said, “Brendon is a little… forceful, with his beliefs.” 

“So that's your kind way of saying he's an asshole?” Joe questioned. 

Andy chuckled, “yeah, basically,” he paused for a moment before continuing, “this might seem kind of weird, but can I take you somewhere?” 

Joe felt his cheeks heat up in a familiar way. He wasn't going to say it out loud, but he honestly wanted to retreat to Andy’s bed. He shook off the thought with a quick nod of his head, and then answered, “uh, yeah, let's go.” 

Andy and Joe began walking. His house wasn't too far, because they were neighbors, but they ended up passing the modestly-sized farm house. Instead, they continued down a gravel path. The boys were mostly silent, with a bit of chatter to avoid awkwardness. Though, Joe didn't think anytime near the other boy could ever really become awkward. Not after their meeting, anyway. It didn't seem like they had met only a day ago; it seemed to him like their souls had been connected for much longer. 

Soon, they neared their destination. Joe could tell, as Andy’s lips turned upwards into his familiar smile. He walked close to the boy, wanting to grab his hand but holding himself back. _You still don't know if he's gay,_ Joe thought. His thoughts were interrupted by an incredibly loud neigh. Joe then remembered what Patrick and Pete had told him back in the barn. Andy’s family owned horse stables, and he loved horses. He then realized how important this must be, if he was showing him one of his favorite things. 

The stables were huge. Lines of horses in their huge barn filled the area. Although the majestic creatures looked like just that, the smell was horrid. Though, Andy was unphased as they passed through the stables. They then reached the end of one row. A sign indicated that a horse apparently named “Penelope” was occupying that particular space. 

“This is Penelope. She's our most prized horse, but yet the most incredibly stubborn,” Andy laughed, “she really only listens when I ride her.” 

The horse was breathtaking. She was mostly gray with speckles of white in some areas, as if someone had recently splashed her with a bucket of paint. Her mane was mostly black but had streaks of white hairs in it as well. Joe looked over to Andy, who was standing next to the horse like a proud father. When Andy looked back at him, Joe could have sworn he saw the boy slightly blush. 

“Do you wanna ride her?” Andy asked, gesturing towards the horse.

Joe was slightly taken aback by the question. “I've never rode a horse before, and if she's as stubborn as you say she is are you sure she won't knock me off?” 

Andy smiled, “as long as I'm here, you should be fine.”

Andy led her out of her stable, where the horse neighed in protest. She seemed a bit grumpy, so Joe was a bit hesitant to ride her. It seemed Andy could sense it, because he looked over to Joe and said, “it'll be okay, it's just late. I take her for late night trips all the time.” 

They took her outside. The lush green grass of the fields beyond blew in the moonlight. The scene was breathtaking. The moonlight reflected off of Penelope’s bright blue eyes, making her glow in the spring night. Andy pulled on her saddle and other gear that Joe couldn't identify. As he prepared her to ride, Andy put a brush in Joe’s hand. “To gain her trust,” he said, before continuing to work on the horse. 

Joe began to brush her hairs lightly, starting from the middle of her back. She seemed to like it, but he couldn't really tell. He just worked his way around the horse's body, collecting tuffs of horse hair on his clothing as he did so. He brushed until he made his way up to Penelope’s face. Their eyes locked, and suddenly fear struck into Joe’s heart. Andy laughed, “you looked like you've just seen a ghost. She's not going to hurt you, I promise.” 

Joe lifted his hand up slightly, making sure not to startle her. He held his palm up to her nose so she could become familiar with his scent. Once she had a good whiff, Joe placed his hand on her nose and began stroking it. The horse's eyes closed with satisfaction. 

“Alright, she's ready to go,” Andy said, patting her saddle, “you ready?” 

Joe looked at Andy, smiled, and nodded. Andy’s eyes made a wave of calm fall over him, making his insides fill with peace. He didn't know how the boy had so much control over him, but he couldn't deny it. He knew he was falling for him, no matter how much he tried to suppress it. Joe realized he was staring, but then also noticed Andy was staring back. He narrowed his eyes in a challenging manner, which Andy noticed. He narrowed his eyes as well, and the boys were locked into a staring contest. Both unblinking, unmoving next to a restless Penelope. Her head suddenly jerked, causing Joe to panic a little, and take his eyes off Andy. 

“Ha, I win!” Andy laughed, as Joe looked concerned with the horse. “She's okay, Joe, don't worry.” 

Joe sighed, the replied with a slight smirk, “I let you win,” although it was a lie. 

Andy laughed again, “yeah, sure.” His smile drew Joe in again, but he instead looked away towards the horse. Andy looked at her as well. 

“She wants to get out and go. She loves to stretch her legs,” Andy said, “you ready?” 

Joe nodded, although he was still completely unprepared. Andy crouched down beside the horse and put his hands together, forming a bit of a step. Joe stepped onto his hand and hoisted himself onto the horse, who immediately jolted. Joe held on tight to her saddle and Andy got up and went to her front, where he grabbed ahold of a lead he'd strapped onto her. 

“Hey girl, it's okay. Penelope. It's okay,” he soothed the horse with a light, calming voice. 

The horse settled down a bit, making Joe’s fastly-beating heart slow down a bit. His nerves were mostly calmed by Andy, guiding the horse out of the stables. The fresh spring breeze made the night a perfect temperature, as he took in the noises of the countryside and the horse's trotting on the ground. Andy’s beautiful locks of hair flowed around him, much like the majestic steed Joe was sat upon. 

Andy looked back to Joe, who was in a state of complete peace, “Having fun up there?” 

Joe nodded, spotting a hint of red pecking at the other boy's cheeks. _Is it a blush of friendliness?_ Joe thought. He wasn't sure how any of this worked, but he knew he wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world at that moment. 

Joe didn't think anything could possibly go wrong in a moment so blissful. Though, because it was in fact, his luck, of course it did. He wasn't sure of the reason why at the time, but suddenly Andy ran off, leaving Joe and the horse to fend for themselves. Penelope jolted out of pure terror, swinging her legs up into the air and neighing with the most force Joe had ever heard any horse neigh. Joe fought to gain control, but lost, releasing his grip and falling onto the gravel path. 

The horse sprinted around the property, Joe hoping to not get smashed by her giant legs in the process. He was still laying on the ground, his body numb from the pain of being thrown from such a height. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Andy. The boy’s lips were moving, but he couldn't make out the words he was saying over the slight ringing in his ears. Though when Andy got close enough, he could hear the cry of, “SNAKE!” Erupt from the boy’s lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger, I'm using it to inspire myself to actually write the next chapter.


End file.
